EU refugee crisis dominates the talks in Zagreb.
Croatian prime minister Zoran Milanović and European Council president Donald Tusk met yesterday in Zagreb. The main topic of the meeting was the refugee crisis, reports Venernji List on September 2, 2015. “We have mostly talked about the migrant crisis, something that is shaking Europe. We are still looking for a clear answer. It is a very painful and emotional topic, but I do not think it brings any major dangers”, said Milanović.
Tusk thanked Milanović for the warm welcome and said they discussed how to support countries which are under the greatest pressure from migrants. “Migration is a common European challenge and therefore we must work together”, said Tusk, adding that he is much more optimistic after meeting with Milanović. Talking about the policy of further EU enlargement, he said that history had shown that stable Balkans is good not only for the region but for the whole of Europe as well.
After meeting with Milanović, Tusk went to Pantovčak where he was received by Croatian president Kolinda Grabar Kitarović. During the discussion, the president expressed her view that “Croatia can and must be more assertive and ambitious when it comes to creating European policies”, reported her office. She believes that Croatian citizens “do not yet fully understand that we are a full member of the European Union and that we participate in the creation of European policies, not only in terms of the use of European funds but also as a part of the area of prosperity, and that we share common responsibilities and obligations”.
Speaking about the problem of refugees coming to Europe, president Grabar Kitarović said that it is “a much more complex question than just finding the accommodation for the migrants” and that everyone should cooperate much more. She wanted to see a greater commitment to “removing the root causes” which lead immigrants to come to the EU.
President of the European Council was also informed about the Croatian position concerning the arbitration agreement with Slovenia. “The Croatian position is that the arbitration proceedings are irreversibly compromised”, said the president and cited the parliament’s decision on the termination of the arbitration agreement. “We want to resolve the border issue with Slovenia and we will do everything in our power to remain a positive example of cooperation between countries which have open issues”, said Grabar Kitarović.
“The European Commission is not a party to the agreement, but has only been helping both sides to reach a solution. However, this is a bilateral issue and what we expect from the European Commission, the Council and individual member states is not to support the view of any of the sides, but to encourage the finding of the solution”, said Grabar Kitarović.
